Maternity garment



y 1, 1956 A. SHELDON MATERNITY GARMENT Filed Dec. 11, 1952 INVEN TOR.

1/714 f5keldwz BY United States A Patent MATERNITY GARMENT Alma I. Sheldon, Jackson, Mich., assignor to S. H. Camp and Company, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 11, 1952, Serial No. 325,431

4 Claims. (Cl. 241) The present invention relates to improvements in hose supportinggirdles especially designed to give support and smoothing effect to the thigh and buttocks without compressing the abdominal region. Reference may be had to Reissue Patent No. 23,541 for a disclosure of a girdle of the type to which the present invention pertains. Girdles of the aforesaid type are well adapted to maternity cases and have received the approval of many obstetricians who stress full, natural freedom with the elimination of all compression over the abdomen. It is to be understood that my girdle provides no support for the abdomen. Except for a narrow portion below the abdominal region, the entire front of my girdle is open for the unrestricted enlargement of the abdomen as pregnancy advances.

It is the object of the invention to provide a girdle of the type described in which the compression of the thigh and buttocks takes place without objectionable traction above or below the abdomen, with special care being taken to avoid all objectionable pressure with respect to the breasts.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the girdle,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line II-Il of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view of the girdle being worn as viewed from the side and back, and

Fig. 4 is a view of the girdle being worn as viewed from the front.

The maternity support takes the form of a girdle having side panels 12 and 14, a back panel 16, and overlapping triangular panels 18 and 2d). The front edges 22 and 24 of the side panels 12 and 14 and the edges 26 and 28 of the panels 18 and 20' define a front opening 30.

The back panel 16 of the girdle 10 is preferably of woven material which stretches only up and down as indicated by the double arrow 32. Side panels 12 and 14 are preferably of openwork net construction to provide stretch in two directions as indicated by the double arrows 34, 36 and 34', 36' with the stretch in the direction of the arrows 34, 36 being predominant. The woven triangular sections 18 and 20 are fabricated to stretch only in the direction of the double arrows 38 and 40, the direction of stretch being substantially parallel to the edges 26 and 28. In the overlapping area 42 of the sections 18 and 20, the latter have been stitched together along the lines 44, 46 and 48 to provide a relatively nonelastic two-ply section in the area 42 with the construction of the area 42 between the panels 38 and 40 being elastic in the direction indicated by the double arrows 38 and 40. Stitching 50 and 52 connects the triangular sections 18 and 20 to the edges 22 and 24 of the side panels 12 and 14.

To control the upper corners 56 and 58 and provide traction for the upper portion of the side and back panels 12, 14 and 16, a flat strap 60 has a running connection with an elongated loop 62 connected to the lower end of a strap portion 64. A similar loop 66 has a running ce I connectionwith a strap- 68 which forms shoulder strap portions 70, the ends of the strap .68 being crossed and connected to the upper edge 72 of the back panel 16. The straps 60 and 68 are proportioned to dispose the strap portion 64 in the crevice between the breasts. Thus, no part of the straps 60 and 68 overlie the breasts yet the corners 56 and 58 have upward and inward traction.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, when the girdle 10 is being worn the front edges 22 and 24 assume a curvilinear shape with the edges 26 and 28 being disposed substantially along the groin line or even slightly below. By locating the relatively non-elastic area 42 as shown and providing stretch in the direction of the arrows 33 and 40, comfortable release is given across the front of the girdle below the abdomen yet adequate traction is given to the lower and intermediate portions of the side and back panels 12, 14 and 16. I

Having thus described my invention what I claim is new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A maternity girdle characterized by its support and smoothing effects to the thigh and buttocks without compressing the abdominal region, comprising a back panel, side panels, a narrow front panel connected to and constituting an extension of said side panels at the lower front portions thereof and below the abdominal region. said side panels having upper front corner portions at the waist line, straps connected to said corners and extending diagonally upward to a common point of support adapted to be located at a point slightly below and between the breasts of the wearer, shoulder straps connected to said back panel and adapted to extend diagonally over the shoulders of the wearer to a common point of attachment adapted to be located between the breasts, and a narrow upright connection strap secured to and interconnecting said common points of support and attachment.

2. A maternity girdle characterised by its support and smoothing eifects to the thigh and buttocks without cornpressing the abdominal region, comprising a back panel, side panels, a narrow front panel connected to and constituting extensions of said side panels and having partially overlapping portions in the lower central portion of said front panel, said overlapping portions being attached to each other in the area of overlap to provide a relatively non-stretchable area, said front panel above said area having stretchable traction portions extending diagonally upward from the upper central portions of said front panel toward and joining with said side panels, and means adapted to extend over the shoulders of the wearer to support said girdle.

3. A maternity girdle as defined in claim 2 wherein said traction portions are stretchable in the direction of their diagonally upward extension with respect to said upper central portions.

4. A maternity girdle characterized by its support and smoothing effects to the thigh and buttocks without compressing the abdominal region, comprising a back panel, side panels, a narrow front panel connected to and constituting extensions of said side panels and having partially overlapping portions in the lower central portion of said front panel, said overlapping portions being attached to each other in the area of overlap to provide a relatively non-stretchable area, said front panel above said area having stretchable traction portions extending diagonally upward from the upper central portions of said front panel toward and joining with said side panels, said side panels having upper front corner portions adjacent the waist line, straps connected to said corners and extending diagonally upward to a common point of support adapted to be located at a point slightly below and between the breasts, shoulder straps connected to said back panel and adapted to extend diagonally over the shoulders to a common point of attachment adapted to 1,524,433 Gutschow Jan. 27, 1925 be located between the breasts, and aoonnection bet-ween 2,166,312 Lunney July 18, 1939 said common points of support and attachment. 2,436,581 Lazaro Feb. 24, 1948 2,606,322 Vraziu Aug. 12, 1952 References Cited in tho file of this patent 5 2,617,990 Allard Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,619,645 Blatt Dec. 2, 1952 Re. 23,541 Vandercook Aug. '26, 1952 

